Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Spaceflight: Government Assistance

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what help they are providing to the UK space industry; in particular, in regards to space launches.

Lord Callanan: We are committed to growing the UK space sector more broadly and deliver our National Space Strategy ambitions, including by recently investing £1.59 billion in European Space Agency (ESA) programmes. BEIS and MoD are providing more than £8bn over the next decade.This includes the £50 million available to grow new UK markets for small satellite launch and sub-orbital spaceflight.This includes:£31.5 million to help establish vertical launch services from Scotland;Up to £1.3 million to develop business plans for small satellite launch and sub-orbital flight from airports in Machrihanish, Snowdonia and Cornwall;£11.3 million as part of £20 million central and local government funding to support horizontal launch by Virgin Orbit from Spaceport Cornwall.

Seas and Oceans: Climate Change

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the analysis by Liang Chen et. al. ‘Another Year of Record Heat for the Oceans’, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences on 11 January; and in particular, the claimthat it is likely that the oceans are now at their hottest for 1,000 years and heating faster than any time in the last 2,000 years.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not made an assessment of the specific Cheng et al. (2023) paper. The Government has considered the conclusions of the 2021 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which assessed the latest literature in this area and found that, “The global ocean has warmed faster over the past century than since the end of the last deglacial transition (around 11,000 years ago) (medium confidence).”

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government whenthey will respond to the improving the energy performance of privately rented homes consultation, which ran from 30 September 2020 to 8 January 2021.

Lord Callanan: The Government has carefully analysed the responses received and is considering how best to ensure the cost relating to energy efficiency improvement are fair and proportionate to landlords and tenants. The Government will publish a response in due course.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medicine: Higher Education

Lord Rose of Monewden: To ask His Majesty's Government which universities are offering medical school places to overseas students only; and how many students are enrolled on those courses in the current academic year.

Lord Markham: Brunel University is the only university which exclusively offers medical places to overseas students. The information requested on enrolment is not collected centrally. The medical school at Brunel University is not required to report the intake data as it is a private and independent provider of undergraduate medical education and does not receive any funding from the Office for Students or Health Education England.

Paediatrics: Intensive Care

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure thathospitals can manage the influx of respiratory related paediatric intensive care patients; and what lessons they have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in this regard.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take toreduce the number of infant respiratory virus-related appointments (1) this winter, and (2) in future years.

Lord Markham: The National Health Service has surge plans in place which include mutual aid between hospitals and paediatric specialists to ensure hospitals can manage and monitor influxes of respiratory-related paediatric intensive care patients and infections. NHS England has also set out its overall plan for increasing the NHS’s operational capacity and resilience this winter, including increasing bed capacity by the equivalent of 7,000 general and acute beds. Children are protected from paediatric intensive care unit admissions via both the flu vaccination programme and other respiratory disease vaccinations, including for measles, pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae B. The palivizumab programme protects infants at very highest risk from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection, and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is looking at RSV immunisation programmes for the future. Children in clinical risk groups for flu are eligible for vaccination from six months of age. Infants also receive indirect protection from the child and adult influenza vaccination programmes and are protected in the first months of life via the maternal flu vaccination programme. As with the COVID-19 pandemic, careful surveillance is important in managing the impact on the NHS. The UK Health Security Agency’s disease surveillance and epidemic intelligence helps the NHS optimise clinical management of these diseases, and aids future healthcare delivery and planning.

Ministry of Justice

Parole

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people serving a life sentence had their first parole hearing on or after tariff expiry; and, for each year since 2009, how many of these were (1) directed for release, or (2) not directed for release, following the hearing.

Lord Bellamy: By law any prisoner serving a life sentence who has completed the minimum term (tariff) set by the Court at the point of sentence is eligible to be considered for release, but will actually be released only when the Parole Board concludes that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for them to remain confined.The total number of prisoners serving a life sentence that had their first parole hearing on or after tariff expiry; and were (1) directed for release, or (2) not directed for release, following the hearing, is shown in the following table; Number of Life Sentenced OffendersYearReleaseNot directed for release2009**201040322011706420127731201391302014744120158769201611998201711964201811076201910889202013372202110693*Records from before 2010 could not be located using administrative systems.Notes:Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that this data has been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by HM Prison & Probation Service. Consequently, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Prison Sentences

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people serving (1) a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection, and (2) a life sentence, were recalled to custody whilst on licence in the community in each year since 2009.

Lord Bellamy: Every offender in the community on licence is liable to be recalled to prison, if they fail to comply with their licence conditions in such a way as to indicate the risk they present is no longer capable of being effectively managed in the community, so as to protect the public.The following table shows the number of people serving (1) a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP), and (2) a life sentence, that were recalled to custody whilst on licence in the community in each year, from 31 December 2009 to 31 December 2021.YearNumber of IPP offenders recalled (Bracketed figure is recalls as a percentage of total cases on licence)Total number of IPP offenders on licenceNumber of Life sentenced offenders recalled (Bracketed figure is recalls as a percentage of total cases on licence)Total number of Life sentenced offenders on licence2010 (1)34--95--201160 (14%)429118 (6%)1,8962012123 (14%)857124 (6%)2,2422013240 (19%)1,231174 (11%)1,6562014332 (23%)1,445201 (9%)2,2202015363 (20%)1,850212 (9%)2,4102016 (1)482--212--2017507 (19%)2,666222 (7%)2,9802018637 (22%)2,935288 (9%)3,2562019710 (23%)3,030350 (9%)4,0602020639 (20%)3,125290 (7%)4,3612021632 (20%)3,241340 (8%)4,522 Notes:Due to a problem with the archived database, figures for 2010 and 2016 are unavailable.The Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence was introduced in 2005 as an indeterminate sentence targeted at serious offenders who, although they were thought to pose an ongoing risk to public safety, did not merit a life sentence. IPP sentences were abolished in 2012 by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act.Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that this data has been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by HM Prison & Probation Service. Consequently, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Prison Sentences

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people serving (1) a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection, and (2) a life sentence, were under probation supervision following their release from prison in each year since 2009.

Lord Bellamy: The Government is committed to the protection of the public and the effective management of offenders. By law, prisoners serving indeterminate sentences who have completed their tariff will be released only when the Parole Board concludes that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for them to remain confined.Statistics on the indeterminate population in prisons are routinely published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.The following table shows the number of people, serving (1) a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection, and (2) a life sentence, under post-release supervision in the community by the Probation Service, from 31 December 2009 to 31 December 2021.YearImprisonment for Public Protection (2)Life imprisonment   2009931,5072010 (1)....20114291,89620128572,24220131,2311,65620141,4452,22020151,8502,4102016 (1)....20172,6662,98020182,9353,25620193,0304,06020203,1254,36120213,2414,522 Notes:Due to a problem with the archived database, figures for this year (2022) are unavailable.The Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence was introduced in 2005 as an indeterminate sentence targeted at serious offenders who, although they were thought to pose an ongoing risk to public safety, did not merit a life sentence. IPP sentences were abolished in 2012 by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act.Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that this data has been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by HM Prison & Probation Service. Consequently, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Sentencing

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans theyhave, if any, to review the sentencing of those currently in the prison system serving a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection.

Lord Bellamy: Following their inquiry into the continued existence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, the Justice Select Committee (JSC) published their report which included a recommendation that the Government conduct a resentencing exercise of all remaining IPP sentences. The Government is carefully considering all the recommendations in the JSC report and will respond shortly. The Government is focused on the successful rehabilitation of IPP prisoners and is working jointly with the Parole Board to realise this goal via the IPP Action Plan. This approach is working; the number of IPP prisoners who have never been released stood at 1,437 in September 2022, down from over 6,000 at its peak in 2012. The JSC also recommended that HMPPS review and update the IPP Action Plan; this work is now underway.

Prisons: Males

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what was (1) the capacity, and (2) the population, of the adult male open Category D prison estate in each week since 1 December 2022.

Lord Bellamy: The table below identifies the overall operational capacity and population of the adult male open estate as at each Friday since 25th November 2022.DateAdult Male Open EstateTotal25/11/2022Operational Capacity5337Population471202/12/2022Operational Capacity5360Population470809/12/2022Operational Capacity5360Population474116/12/2022Operational Capacity5360Population476223/12/2022Operational Capacity5360Population477130/12/2022Operational Capacity5360Population473206/01/2023Operational Capacity5360Population4702 The data provided in the table above does not include prisoners living in the open units of closed prisons (i.e. at HMP Norwich and HMP Stoke Heath).

Judges and Magistrates: Training

Baroness Pitkeathley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the percentage of (1) family judges, and (2) magistrates, who have completed the (a) continuation training, (b) digital training, and (c) face-to-face training, on domestic abuse that is available through the Judicial College.

Baroness Pitkeathley: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the names of (1) the individuals, and (2) the organisations, who (a) write, and (b) deliver,the Judicial College training on domestic abuse to family judges and magistrates.

Lord Bellamy: To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice, the Senior President of Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively. These responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College. The College launched new mandatory digital training on domestic abuse for family judges and family magistrates in Autumn 2021. In April 2022, the College rolled out a new one-year programme of intensive face-to-face Domestic Abuse training for family and civil judges, including training which addresses the Domestic Abuse Act. From September 2022, the College rolled out a similar programme of Domestic Abuse training for family magistrates. The Judicial College publishes annually its prospectus and activity report.

Treasury

Imports

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have a mechanism to compare the import declarations for goods that arrive in the UK against the export declarations submitted in the country of origin; and if not, how they assess that (1) the declarations, and (2) the goods, have not been altered in transit.

Baroness Penn: Customs declarations must be submitted electronically into HMRC's systems when goods are imported or exported and once accepted by HMRC can only be altered in specific circumstances, and there is a record of such changes. HMRC operates a risk-based model for customs compliance. This means that our compliance responses and interventions are targeted and proportionate to the potential risk of fraud and non-compliance a consignment or a trader may represent. At the Border, a risk-based, intelligence led approach is taken to tackle the highest and most significant risks pre-clearance. HMRC, supported by a range of bilateral and multilateral frameworks, cooperates with international partners to identify non-compliance including the sharing of intelligence, conducting joint investigations and the comparison of declarations submitted when appropriate.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Nagorno Karabakh: Humanitarian Situation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks bySamantha Power, Administrator of USAID, who said that a "humanitarian catastrophe" is unfolding in Nagorno-Karabakh; and whatsteps they aretaking urgently to enable NGOs and charities to fly humanitarian aid into the region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government has been clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences, particularly during winter. Officials are in contact with humanitarian agencies, including the ICRC, about their assessment of the impact of the closure. The START FUND, to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor. The Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty MP, issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December and our Ambassadors in the region and other senior UK officials have reinforced this message with key interlocutors. We also called for early resolution of this issue in our interventions in Vienna at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 15 December and in New York at the UN Security Council on 20 December.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act in the USA; andwhat plans they have, if any, to introduce similar measures in the UK.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the USA; and what plans they have, if any, to introduce similar measures in the UK.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Executive Order 13936 in the USA which implements provisions of that country's Hong Kong Autonomy Act and the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act; and what plans they have, if any, to introduce similar measures in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The measures the United States has taken on Hong Kong, including mechanisms for sanctions, are a matter for the US Government. Whilst we work exceptionally closely with likeminded partners, such as the US, it is important we work within the remit of our own regulations. We keep potential sanctions designations under close and regular review, however it is not appropriate to speculate as this could reduce their impact. The UK is committed to holding China to its international obligations and regularly reports on the situation in Hong Kong through our Six-monthly Report, the latest of which was published on 12 January.

Hong Kong: Administration of Justice

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of China regarding the independence of Hong Kong’s judicial system.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The preservation of Hong Kong's independent judiciary was promised by China under the terms of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. As a co-signatory, we will continue to hold China to the international obligations it freely entered into.

China: Belt and Road Initiative

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative on countries in the Horn of Africa.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: China is an important source of aid, finance and investment for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including in the Horn of Africa. This includes activity under the Belt and Road Initiative. We are working with partners including the G7 to ensure low and middle income countries have an alternative to strategic dependence on China or any other country. The UK offers wide-ranging partnerships to African countries that support a freer, safer, healthier, greener and more prosperous continent. Through British Investment Partnerships, we are providing honest, reliable investment that creates jobs, boosts economic growth and draws countries closer to major free-market democracies.

Pakistan: Development Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will prioritise UK aid to Pakistan so that persecuted minorities such as Ahmadi Muslims receive higher priority and protection.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Protecting freedom of religion or belief for minority communities is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. UK aid in Pakistan is already supporting projects promoting the rights of marginalised groups and religious minorities. Our Aawaz II programme brings together influential community and faith leaders to resolve local issues, change social behaviours and promote religious freedom. This programme work complements sustained high-level advocacy. Minister for Development Andrew Mitchell raised the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on 9 January. On 14 December, I also raised this issue with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Afghanistan: Electricity and Food Supply

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to address famine and food insecurity in Afghanistan; andwhat plans they have to provide resources to helpmitigate the electricity shortage in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is taking a leading role in the humanitarian response to support the people of Afghanistan. Over 28 million people are estimated to be in humanitarian need in 2023, including an estimated 19.9 million people who are acutely food insecure. Since April 2022, we have disbursed £228 million in aid for Afghanistan. This includes £95 million to the World Food Programme (WFP). Through WFP, the UK aims to support over 4 million people with food assistance this financial year. UK aid is prioritised in line with the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reported demolition of a primary school in Khirbet a-Safai al-Foqa in Masafer Yatta by Israeli forces and confiscation of its equipment in November 2022, what assessment they have made of whether the educational rights of Palestinian children under occupation by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 are being upheld.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is firmly committed to ensuring access to education for all Palestinians. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order to provide opportunities, economic development and hope for the next generation. I reinforced this message during my visit to a UK donor funded school facing demolition on 12 January, and urged Israel to desist demolitions and evictions which cause unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and, in all but the most exceptional of cases, violate International Humanitarian Law.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Challenger Tanks

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to acquire retired Challenger 1 tanks to supply to Ukraine in a greater volume to the announced supply of Challenger 2 tanks.

Baroness Goldie: The British Army has no Challenger 1 tanks in service and the Ministry of Defence has no plans to acquire retired Challenger 1 tanks for supply to Ukraine. It would not be possible to provide a suitable sustainment package for these tanks, meaning they would have negligible combat effectiveness for the Ukrainians.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Storage

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government how many mine-resistantvehicles procured for operations in Afghanistan remain in storage; which vehicle types they are; andwhat consideration they have given to supplying such vehicles to the government of Ukraine.

Baroness Goldie: Mastiff, Ridgback, Wolfhound (MRW), High Mobility Tactical Vehicle (Jackal, Coyote), Foxhound and Husky are all protected mobility platforms procured for operations in Afghanistan.Husky is no longer an in-service platform and is held entirely within the disposals fleet. I am withholding the numbers of the remaining in-service platforms held in storage as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.Granting in Kind activity has considered each of the above platforms in detail, with Mastiff, Wolfhound and Husky forming significant elements of the UK's first two tranches of support to Ukraine.

Challenger Tanks

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the 227 Challenger tanksoriginally procured for the army (1) remain in service, and (2) are currently serviceable.

Baroness Goldie: 408 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks were originally procured for the Army in the 1990s. 227 platforms remain in the Army's current active fleet.

Army: Recruitment

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time between passing the army recruitment processand receiving a job offer.

Baroness Goldie: There is no waiting time between passing the Army recruitment process and receiving a job offer as job offers are given at the point that a candidate completes the Army recruitment process.

Typhoon Aircraft

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to upgrade the Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft; andwhat are the numbers per annum for the type leaving service in future.

Baroness Goldie: Withdrawing the Tranche 1 Typhoon aircraft enables the reinvestment required in the rest of the Typhoon fleet out to its out of service date. There are 30 Typhoon in Tranche 1. On current plans, the bulk of the Typhoon Tranche 1 aircraft will go out of service on 31 March 2025, whilst four will be retained until 2027.

Egypt: World War I

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards (1) identifying and marking the graves of Egyptians who died serving the UK during the First World War, including in the Egyptian Labour Corps, and (2) recovering the records of all Egyptians who served with UK forces.

Baroness Goldie: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's (CWGC) historical research in archives across Africa and Europe continues to make positive progress in revealing the names of those previously un-commemorated, and in mapping potential burial sites. To date, almost 7,000 names have been recovered and the CWGC is actively working to commemorate these individuals in a manner befitting their service and loss. In relation to identifying and marking the graves of the Egyptian Labour Corps and Camel Transport Corps, CWGC's research has found that more than 327,000 Egyptians served alongside Commonwealth forces across the Middle East, Turkey, and Western Europe. Of those, the CWGC now know that more than 16,500 died in service. However, fewer than 400 are currently commemorated by name, with the remainder commemorated collectively by the CWGC's Giza Memorial.The CWGC have established that during the war the Egyptian Ministry of Interior sent thousands of notifications of death to next of kin. The CWGC believes these records are likely to be held by Egyptian state archives or perhaps still in the possession of one or more government departments. Although this is yet to be confirmed, the CWGC has approached the Egyptian authorities and is working through several agencies to access the required archives.

Challenger Tanks

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK has the necessary (1) facilities, and (2) workforce, to increase the number of Challenger tank if required.

Baroness Goldie: In line with the Army’s Future Soldier plan, the Army will be structured to deliver two Armoured Regiments based on the Challenger tank. Workforce, infrastructure, and equipment planning will support this structure as well as delivering the upgrades from Challenger 2 to Challenger 3. In reviewing the number of Challenger 3 conversions, the Army will also need to consider the implications of such a review on the decisions and capability priorities made in Future Soldier.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on farmbusinesses of the withdrawal of the Basic Payment Scheme.

Lord Benyon: In October 2021, the Government published the Agriculture in the UK Evidence Pack. This publication included static analysis showing the profitability of farms in the absence of Direct Payments for the years immediately prior to the start of the agricultural transition. In 2019 the Government published the farming evidence compendium. This publication provided an in-depth assessment of the impacts of removing Direct Payments with analysis by sector, location in England and type of land tenure. This publication also provided analysis on how farm businesses, across all sectors, can offset the impact of Direct Payments.The money freed from Direct Payments is being re-invested in our other schemes for farmers and land managers. For example, the Government has recently increased the payment rates of Countryside Stewardship to help more than 30,000 farmers and is introducing a new management payment for the Sustainable Farming Incentive. The Government is also offering grants to improve farm productivity and benefit the environment through our Farming Investment Fund. Farmers affected by the phasing out of Direct Payments can also receive free business advice and support through our Future Farming Resilience Fund.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking (1) to monitor concentrations of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals and personal care product residues in terms of driving the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in the environment, and (2) to fund more research into the risks they may pose to human health.

Lord Benyon: (1) Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) have been working with the water industry to research the occurrence and transport of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics through wastewater treatment works as part of the industry-funded Chemical Investigations Programme. Investigations have been carried out at ten sites across the country to understand how the different treatment processes and the presence of chemicals including a range of pharmaceuticals affect the presence and prevalence of particular organisms and resistance genes. The results are due to be published by UK Water Industry Research in early 2023.The EA has also been working with water companies on chemicals investigations which have included a range of pharmaceuticals and personal care products residues discharged from treated sewage effluent which might contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).The EA has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern to ensure consideration of the potential risks of emerging chemicals including to surface waters (both freshwater and saline waters), groundwater and soils. The system allows the EA to sift and to screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England. The EA has included a number of pharmaceuticals and personal care products as part of PEWS including, for example, diclofenac, ibuprofen and Benzophenone-3 (UV filter). These three substances flagged as high risk in PEWS.The EA also monitors for a wide range of pharmaceuticals and substances used in personal care products in the water environment using a semi-quantitative screening methodology. All the substances mentioned above are included on this screening.(2) The UK AMR National Action Plan (NAP) (2019-24) commits to “support research to reduce evidence gaps and improve our understanding of hazards and risks from AMR in the environment”. The Government is not currently supporting research on the potential risks of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals and personal care product residues in terms of driving the evolution of AMR in the environment and the risks they may pose to human health, but is exploring options with funders on how best to undertake a One-Health approach to research into the drivers of AMR in the environment and environmental transmission risks to human health. This work will be built upon as an area of focus for research in the next five-year NAP (2024-29).The Government is funding a wide array of research into AMR, including through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As of September 2022, the NIHR was supporting 65 active research projects funded by NIHR programmes on AMR, with a combined value of approximately £97 million. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including risk factors for AMR.

Sewage: Pollution

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor, measure, or mitigate the impacts of microbial pollution as a result of sewage pollution, in respect of the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Lord Benyon: The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Environment Agency (EA) have been working with the water industry to research the occurrence and transport of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics through wastewater treatment works as part of the industry-funded Chemical Investigations Programme. Investigations have been carried out at 10 sites across the country to understand how the different treatment processes affect the presence and prevalence of particular organisms and resistance genes. The results are due to be published by UK Water Industry Research in early 2023. In addition, the EA has completed a study to look at the amounts of antifungal substances that remain in biosolids as one of the final products of these wastewater treatments. These results will also be published in early 2023.  The EA has also been working with water companies on chemicals investigations which have included a range of pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines discharged from treated sewage effluent which might contribute to AMR. This work allows the EA to sift and screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England. Many pharmaceuticals are included on this list. Monitoring also takes place for a wide range of pharmaceuticals within the water environment using a semi-quantitative screening methodology.A cross-departmental project, Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (PATH-SAFE), was established in 2021 to understand how pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) are spread in the environment and the agri-food system. It brings together DEFRA, the EA, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the UK Health Security Agency. PATH-SAFE contains a workstream focused on AMR prevalence in three river catchments to strengthen our understanding of AMR in the environment, including the relative importance of different sources and potential transmission routes; this includes wastewater and septic discharges as important likely sources. This work is due to complete in 2023. Two documents are attached which provide background (Antimicrobial resistance surveillance pilot site selection and database extension and Framework for understanding environmental antimicrobial resistance in England).The actions being taken to reduce sewage pollution more generally will have a direct positive impact on the emergence and spread of resistant microbials. The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction plan announced in August of this year sets strict new targets on water companies to reduce sewage discharges. In addition, we have increased monitoring and transparency of water companies by increasing the number of storm overflows monitored from 5% in 2016 to almost 90% now monitored, and we will reach 100% cover by end of 2023. This action has supported the regulators to launch the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever, at over 2200 treatment works, following new data coming to light as a result of increased monitoring. We are also bringing forward proposals to increase the maximum fine that water companies face for breaches of environmental laws.Framework -  (pdf, 1913.8KB)Report (pdf, 2577.3KB)

Environment Protection: Innovation

Lord Kamall: To ask His Majesty's Government why the innovation principle was not included as one of the principles in the draft environmental principles policy statement published in May 2022; and whether they will include it in the final statement.

Lord Benyon: The environmental principles in the policy statement are set out in section 17 of the recent Environment Act. Determining which principles were included in the Act involved thorough consideration, including a public consultation and significant engagement with stakeholders. The five internationally recognised principles are the integration principle, the prevention principle, the rectification at source principle, the polluter pays principle, and the precautionary principle.

Environment Protection: Innovation

Lord Kamall: To ask His Majesty's Government, given the absence of the innovation principle from the draft environmental principles policy statement published in May 2022, what plans they have to encourage innovation in creating a cleaner and sustainable environment.

Lord Benyon: The policy statement outlines how the five principles should be interpreted and proportionately applied when making policy. The draft policy statement recognises the importance of innovation. For example, the precautionary principle incentivises innovation by encouraging development of alternative policy options that reduce risk and uncertainty.

Land Drainage

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring into force Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Lord Benyon: Following the publication of the review for making sustainable drainage systems mandatory in new developments on 10 January 2023, the Government will now give consideration to how Schedule 3 will be implemented. This will be subject to final decisions on scope, threshold and process, while also being mindful of the cumulative impact of new regulatory burdens on the development sector. A public consultation will be held later this year that will help to shape our new approach, with implementation expected during 2024.

Home Office

Police: Labour Turnover

Lord Grocott: To ask His Majesty's Government how many police officers have (1) joined, and (2) left, the police force since 2019.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers joining and leaving the police service in the “Police workforce, England and Wales” statistical bulletin. The table below shows the full-time equivalent (FTE) police officer joiners and leavers, in the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales, since 1 April 2019.Table 1: Police officer (FTE) joiners and leavers, England and WalesFinancial yearJoinersLeavers2019/2012,8837,1412020/2112,1276,0182021/2212,7898,117 Note: Excludes those transferring between forces.Separately, as part of the “Police officer uplift, England and Wales” statistical bulletin, the Home Office publishes data on new police officer recruits, on a headcount basis. The latest data, covering recruitment up to 30 September 2022, shows there have been 37,773 new police officer recruits (headcount) to the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales since November 2019. This refers only to new police officer recruits joining the Police Service. Those returning to the police service, such as after a period of absence and transfers from other forces are not included. Leavers data are not published as part of the “Police officer uplift” statistical bulletin.

Police: Conditions of Employment

Lord German: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Sharpe of Epsom on 9 January (HL Deb col 1218), how many police forces (1) do, and (2) do not, routinely require applicants to attend a post assessment face-to-face interview before proceeding to appointment as a police officer.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces. This is done within a national application, assessment and selection framework, in line with national guidance maintained by the College of Policing. All 43 forces across England and Wales use the College of Policing Online Assessment Process (OAP) which was launched in May 2020. This improved process includes an interview, which is assessed by a fully trained assessor and ensures quality assurance is in place. This is vastly different to level of quality assurance which existed before the Police Uplift Programme, when forces undertook face-to-face interviews with no national standards for assessors. Post OAP interviews were introduced as a non-mandatory step by the College of Policing in 2022. These interviews were introduced to standardise various local processes that forces were using following applicants passing the OAP.The latest available data provided by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing indicates that 23 forces use this standard College process. In addition, 10 forces continue to use a local face-to face interview post OAP. A further 10 do not hold a post OAP interview, however these forces engage with all candidates face-to-face as part of the recruitment process, for example through familiarisation events or during other stages in the recruitment process.

Department for International Trade

Agriculture: Trade Agreements

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mitigate any damage caused to the UK farming sector by the free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Farming is a crucial part of the UK economy, and this Government wants to ensure rural economies can thrive. Our free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand balance opportunities for UK exporters, importers and consumers with protections for the agricultural industry. British agri-food exporters will benefit from both deals removing tariffs for all UK goods. We offer a range of support for those looking to increase their exports, including the Export Support Service, the digital GREAT.gov.uk platform and our new Food and Drink Export Council.